Dekker says goodbye
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ByEurosport
Published 08/08/2006 at 12:39 GMT
Erik Dekker announced his retirement on Monday, as the 35-year-old Dutchman plans to take over as Rabobank team manager. Dekker failed to recover from injuries he sustained during the fourth stage of the Tour de France, but will end his career in Tuesday's 'Gouden Pijl' criterium in Emmen.
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Dekker had originally planned to retire after the Tour, but then rescheduled the decision until the end of this season after his accident.
But with Monday's announcement it was clear that the wounds had not yet healed.
"Besides the obvious physical injuries I sustained, it mainly became a mental struggle," Dekker told a press conference in the Netherlands. "I could not find the strength and will to continue on for just a couple more months."
"Whatever I do, I always want to give hundred percent, but my motivation was gone. There was nothing inside me that told me to continue."
Winner of four Tour de France stages including three in 2000, Dekker was briefly world number one in March, 2002 and also won Paris-Tours in 2004.
Rabobank manager Erik Breukink called Dekker "one of the best cyclists Holland has ever known."
"I fully understand his choice, but I still think it is a shame that a cyclist who dominated the world of Dutch cycling with Boogerd for the last ten years, must retire like this."
Sporting director Theo de Rooy said that he was happy that Dekker would resume his career with Rabobank as a team manager.
"We might lose a top-class cyclist but we'll get a very motivated team leader in return. Someone who can play an important role and is a strengthening of our technical staff."
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